During the past few weeks, the world of contemporary art, especially in Latin America, has gone through a difficult tension. This is a direct result of the unfortunate and conflicting situation that clouded the opening of the 31st Bienal of Sao Paulo. Days before the inauguration, a cluster of participating artists requested for the organizers of the Bienal to remove the shield of Israel from the list of credited institutional sponsors. It is clear that the shield of Israel represents the presence of an entire nation.

The practice of art is historically inscribed in the cultural process with the highest capacity to critically review human conflict, and to generate new perspectives of approximation, while in many cases proposing alternate paths. For this reason, art has positioned itself as the modern antidote to abuses of power.

From the artists’ perspective, there can be many reasons to hold positions against the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but the petition to remove the national identity and identification of the State of Israel contributes a negative image with deplorable connotations.

There are many countries participating as artist project sponsors which could be subject to the same inquiring as a consequence of their governmental action. Likewise, many of the companies that constantly support art fairs could be ethically questioned and confronted for their actions when using the ideology planted by this group of artists in the 31st Bienal.

The suppression of the shield of Israel has symbolical implications that assimilate with the will to suppress the Israeli nation far beyond confronting it’s government. Considering the historical precedents of intolerance, and the catastrophic effects they have had in the last century, it is necessary to call for solidarity against this new attempt to symbolically erase the presence of the nation of Israel.

We who sign this letter, independent of any position we hold on the politics of the Israeli government, want to raise attention on the deplorable implication of this gesture. We want to call for responsible solidarity and for the mutual respect that artistic projects should ensue regardless of the inherit symbolism in politically critical work.

The concept of this site is: i – joao – com (municate) and here is all what you need to know about me in 13 pictures before you move on:

01. I was born in an artsy family, my dad was offering engravings to my mum while she was pregnant of me. Isn’t that romantic? 1977

02. So, it was natural and logic that I ended up making engravings and printing other people’s at an early age (1981).

03. What interested me, however, was the business side of the arts. Brazil had more talents than art imprezarios, so I got started. Here is a painting I reluctantly negotiated when I was 13. 1990. (I wanted to have kept it in my collection).

04. I also liked to cause trouble (as I still do – this has not changed) so I asked artists to make provocative clothes for me in reference to Bill Clinton’s scandal. Some teachers did notice it was both a flame and a vagina and told me of at school. 1995

05. Acting in São Paulo art world was not enough. I wanted to be international. I moved to Paris, but my dad and Wesley persuaded me that London was the grand centre of the art market in Europe. (1996 I guess, strong emotions sometimes compromise memory).

06. So I moved to London and had no money, no contacts, no visa, nothing. BUT, I had faith in destiny. I quickly devised a money making cards game that allowed me to move on with my projects (2002).

07. This and other creative moves got me to launch a gallery in Regent Street, with a mission of giving visibility to modern Latin American art. Creative moves continued to happen at the gallery thereafter. 2004.

08. During this stay in Europe I got to met many great artists like Jesus Soto, Armando Morales, David La Chapelle, Henry Cartier-Bresson and Takashi Murakami. Guess what? They don’t see the world as most people do… and I could learn from that. (No dates here, as these are timeless events).

09. I also negotiated paintings by artists who were no longer alive such as Frida Kahlo (in the pic), Magritte and Picasso. Well, in fact, I did not sell this particular portrait because we had doubts about its provenance. 2005.

10. But I wanted to feel intellectually connected with my time so I set up a discussion group with a new mission: help me, and others, to better understand contemporary art – 750 members, 200 events made, and counting. The group’s name? I Know What I Like. 2011.

11. In 2012 I moved to São Paulo and continued to put my ideas across. We got to say what we think. Talks were done in coordination with big players like Itau Private, Sotheby’s Institute (below), University of São Paulo, and Santander Bank. I got published on Capital Aberto, Art Democracy, Valor, Exame, and many others. 2013.

12. Most importantly, got good collections build and talents spotted too which is how I make my living. Here is a 1970’s picture by Julio Le Parc which I acquired for a client recently at a significant discount. I love helping my clients buy more for less.
13. You know what, the truth is that I can’t stay put because deep down I think that the world is not in good order and it is our responsability to do something about it. Disseminating culture whenever we get the chance is one way of doing it (Art Industry Forum, Madrid, Arco). 2014.

Culture is an agent of change. Culture is a navigation tool to steer human evolution towards a more universal condition. The concept of culture alone is a call to action.

But the world needs help. BADLY. So yes, if this looks like an ultimatum, a strong call to action. It is.

Your contribution is urgent.

PS. I always had personal logos. Companies spend millions on them, don’t they? Why shouldn’t individuals who experience much deeper existential and identitarian questioning care about having one? This is my latest which was made by an artist old friend of mine.

Kunstkompass 2014

Where am I?

Introduction

Passionate about both art and entrepreneurship, the art dealer João Correia founded two companies: Collezionista, an art advisory firm based in São Paulo, and, I Know What I Like, a contemporary art debate society based in London. He also writes regularly to the media and to this personal blog in English and Portuguese languages.

Testimonials

Joao, throughout his career, has demonstrated superb taste married to perseverance in expanding the scope of his international contacts. I trust his judgment in unfamiliar areas of collecting.

Judy SchalickLady of Finchingfield

As a professional working in Publishing I am always after the most exciting content being generated in the London art scene. This is what led me to join I Know What I Like, a discussion group João founded in 2010. What I discovered was an intellectu…

Alenka OblakPhaidon Press

João Correia was invited to give a talk about art and its market to a group of graduate art students at the Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo. This complex theme was dealt with in a realistic manner, based in his signicant work exper…

Marilucia BottalloDiretora TécnicaInstituto de Arte Contemporânea

Dear João,

Your talk was very interesting ! Your work is very professional . Congratulations !

Regards,

Patricia Mendes Caldeira

João,

I learned a lot from your analysis and systematization. I really liked the Kunstkompass event. I will be in the next one, count on me.

Mauro CavallettiJWT São Paulo

We feel Joao Correia is our man in Sao Paulo. His opinions and expertise means a lot for us and beyond his articles we believe he could be the right editor in a future project: Art Democracy Brazil.

Guillermo Gonzalez TaboadaArt Democracy Magazine

“João really understands art, not just its market, which is a rare combination.”